The Seine River flows from Dijon in the Alps, through Paris, joining the sea at Le Havre on the French coast. Paris lies 277 miles (445 km) from the river mouth and the slow-moving river is navigable up to 348 miles (560 km) inland from Le Havre, to Paris and beyond. This made it a lucrative trading route and Paris a prosperous city even back in the days of the Roman Empire.
In Paris, many bridges cross the Seine, the oldest being the Pont Neuf dating from 1607 and the newest the Pont Charles de Gaulle completed in 1996. The river forks in central Paris creating two islands: the Ile de la Cité which is one of the most expensive districts to live, and the Ile Saint-Louis. Many of Paris's famous landmarks are beside the Seine: Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Musée d'Orsay.
The Seine flows through the heart of Paris and is hard to miss. You can cruise it on either tours boats or the hop on hop off boats, or walk along either the left or right bank. Closest metro stations are Pont Neuf on line 7, Cite on line 4 and Musée d'Orsay on RER C.
